The Brothers Johnson was an American funk and R&B band consisting of the American brothers George ("Lightnin' Licks") and Louis E. Johnson ("Thunder Thumbs"). They achieved their greatest success from the mid-1970s to early 1980s, with three singles topping the R&B charts ("I'll Be Good to You", "Strawberry Letter 23", and "Stomp!").
Background
Formation
Guitarist/vocalist George and bassist/vocalist Louis formed the band Johnson Three Plus One with older brother Tommy and their cousin Alex Weir while attending school in Los Angeles, California. When they became professionals, the band backed such touring R&B acts as Bobby Womack and the Supremes. George and Louis Johnson later joined Billy Preston's band and wrote selections for his albums Music Is My Life and The Kids & Me before leaving his group in 1973.
! width="35"| US<br>R&B<br>
! width="35"| CAN<br>
! width="35"| NL<br>
! width="35"| NZ<br>
! width="35"| UK<br>
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1976
| align="left"| Look Out for #1
| 9
| 1
| 3
| —
| 25
| —
| —
| —
| align="left"|
- RIAA: Platinum
| rowspan="7"| A&M
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1977
| align="left"| Right on Time
| 13
| 2
| 4
| 43
| 36
| —
| 34
| —
| align="left"|
- RIAA: Platinum
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1981
| align="left"| Winners
| 48
| 10
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| 42
| align="left"|
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1984
| align="left"| Out of Control
| 91
| 20
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| align="left"|
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1988
| align="left"| Kickin
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| align="left"|
|-
| colspan="15" style="font-size:90%" | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
|}
Live albums
- Strawberry Letter 23: Live (2004, Goldenlane)
Compilation albums
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Album
! colspan="3"| Peak positions
! rowspan="2"| Record label
|- style="font-size:smaller;"
! width="35"| US<br>
| align=left rowspan="3"| Light Up the Night
|-
| align="left"| "Light Up the Night"
| —
| 16
| —
| —
| —
| 37
| 19
| 47
| align=left|
|-
| align="left"| "Treasure"
| 73
| 36
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| align=left|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1981
| align="left"| "The Real Thing"
| 67
| 11
| —
| —
| —
| —
| 34
| 50
| align=left|
| align=left rowspan="2"| Winners
|-
| align="left"| "Dancin' Free"
| —
| 51
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| align=left|
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1982
| align="left"| "Welcome to the Club"
| —
| 13
| —
| —
| —
| —
| 36
| —
| align=left|
| align=left rowspan="2"| Blast!: The Latest and the Greatest
|-
| rowspan="1"| 1983
| align="left"| "I'm Giving You All of My Love"
| —
| 75
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| align=left|
|-
| rowspan="2"| 1984
| align="left"| "You Keep Me Coming Back"
| —
| 12
| 22
| —
| —
| —
| —
| 77
| align=left|
| align=left rowspan="2"| Out of Control
|-
| align="left"| "Lovers Forever"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| align=left|
|-
| rowspan="3"| 1988
| align="left"| "Kick It to the Curb"
| —
| 52
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| align=left|
| align=left rowspan="3"| Kickin
|-
| align="left"| "Party Avenue"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| align=left|
|-
| align="left"| "Still in Love"
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| —
| align=left|
|-
| colspan="15" style="font-size:90%" | "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
|}
Videography
- 1977 – Right on Time
- 1980 – Stomp
- 1981 – The Real Thing
- 1988 – Kick It to the Curb
See also
- List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. dance chart
- List of Number 1 Dance Hits (United States)
Notes
References
External links
- Brothers Johnson career on A&M Records with gallery, international discography
- Blues & Soul-interview (1987/1988)